It’s the giving season, which for many means donating to food pantries. The City Cast Las Vegas podcast spoke with Rae Lathrop of the Desert Spring Community Resource Center about the dos and don’ts of food giving.
What are some of the most ludicrous items you've received as donations at the pantry?
“A couple of weeks ago I showed up, and someone had donated a box of hair dye. We'll take some household items, some hygiene products, too. But I would say, generally, think about donating food. We get a lot of people who are cleaning out their pantry. If you haven't eaten that food in a couple of years, or if it's not appetizing to you, just because someone's coming to a food pantry doesn't mean they'll want it either.”
Also, with something like a box of macaroni and cheese, someone also has to have butter and milk and a way to cook it
.
“Yeah, and a lot of those government staples and other food-donation drives give us canned goods. So we've got a whole box of can openers just in case a family doesn't have one. We really have to think about how some of that food is cooked. We have clients who are living in their car, and that's a big reality with a lot of families. So we have to be really considerate about where someone's going to end up.”
If I am assembling my shopping cart to bring to the food pantry, what should I put in there?
“I don't think anyone's going to refuse a dozen fresh eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruit. When you're coming to a food pantry, it's really hard to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. That's where we spend most of our money, in order to make sure we have really well-rounded meals for our neighbors.
“Talk to (the pantry) about the clients they serve. For instance, in the last year, 30% of our clients are Asian, and we want to make sure that there's culturally appropriate food. Sometimes we have to write out recipes.”
